Category Archives: Joy

“Don’t wait for anyone else to do it for you. You must act and make your own life great. As I said, ‘the calvary ain’t coming!’ No one but you can do it for you. Nothing in the outer world needs to change for you to make your dreams begin to come true. You need to change.

If you want your life to change you need to change things in your life. If you want different results stop doing what you habitually do and begin to do new positive, productive, powerful things that make the difference. First, create a list. Create a list of all the good things.

Write down all the things you like about your life. Write down those things you are grateful for. Put down on paper everything you love and enjoy. Focus on these. Make these the center of attention. Concentrate on these often. Never complain. Never whine.

What You Focus On Expands – You Get What You Focus On

Speak and think only to bless, heal and prosper. Center your attention on all these good things. Keep your focus there. Your energy will change. The more good energy you get the more you produce as your remained focused. This is how to claim power!

Transform yourself. Begin with the inside of your head and your outer world will follow. Begin today. Stop waiting. Stop continuing down less than glorious paths. Tap into you positive and powerful energy. Become enthused and optimistic. Release your joy and everything begins to change! Celebrate everything!” Rex Sikes

“I’d like to point something out that should be obvious but sometimes it is not. I am an actor and filmmaker. I wear many hats. I’ve spent most of my life speaking on personal transformation, enlightenment, NLP, whole brain learning and the Law Of Attraction.

I shouldn’t have to refer to acting or filmmaking in every post, for actors or filmmakers to understand the principles and approaches I share can be applied to them. They can use these personally and to advance their careers. These principles apply to all of us to use.

Whatever walk of life you are in, or from, you can use these materials to make it better for yourself and others. BUT, I get it. Sometimes, we are so focused on ourself, or career, we limit the opportunities around us. We don’t see clearly. We only see ‘IT’.

Be Present – Be Playful – Be Divine – Live Fully – Enjoy Life

When I was a young actor in Hollywood I hated weekends and holidays because I couldn’t pursue my career or craft. Most all my friends were ‘in the business.’ I didn’t have time for fun and frivolity, even relationships were dependent on career choices and moves.

The bottom line is my life was so ‘movie business’ I didn’t have much of a life. That isn’t what life is about. Life is way too short to be so preoccupied, that we haven’t time for anything else. I want to share something, again, with you Napoleon Hill said. I paraphrase.

He stated he had modeled 520 of the then richest people in the world. He knew them, spent time in their homes, knew their families and out of all 520, he stated, only one was happy! The rest were obsessed, families in chaos, kids screwed up. They were messes!

Playing Builds Brain Pathways For Creativity Flexibility And More

Some killed themselves, others turned to drugs and alcohol. Why? Because they weren’t balanced. They were greedy. They quested money to the exclusion of everything else. He points out, if you want it you can get it, but be careful of what or how much you want.

Hill said he suffered similar consequences. He wanted things money could bring him. Ultimately, he realized, and reported nearer the end of his life that peace, happiness, relationships were more important. He said, get rich that is fine, but don’t be so greedy it ruins you.

The same is true about actors, artists, lawyers, bankers, educators, laborers and people from every walk. Live a little. Love a lot. Laugh and have good times. Enjoy life as it is happening. Don’t put it off. Pursue your careers and passions but don’t get lost or fanatical.

Life Is Better When You Are Smiling And Laughing

Take time to enjoy each other. To notice how beautiful this world actually is. Travel. It doesn’t have to be far, or cost a lot. Take a walk. Go for a ride. See something that inspires you. Fall in love. Share good times with others. Have fun. Relax, too. Enjoy tiny moments.

Remember, living makes you a better artist. The director Elia Kazan said, if you want to be a better actor or director, you need to live more and experience as much as you can. You can’t only focus on your craft. You need to bring in things from the outside.

Much of the innovation in the world comes from outside the field of inquiry. For example, when Edison attempted making the light bulb, after a while, his insights came from how charcoal is made; coals smoldering under dirt. He realized, he needed a vacuum tube.

Have A Sweet Tongue Dirty Mind Playful Heart And Loving Soul

Frequently, people puzzling over problems take breaks, naps and illumination occurs to them, in the same way you remember a name or bit of information, by giving up trying to recall it. Later, it pops in. Cross pollination; ideas coming from multiple sources, melding.

Relax. Let go. Sing, dance, make love. Laugh, skip, explore. Talk over a beverage or a picnic. Spend time doing other things. Have hobbies and other interests. Make more friends and acquaintances. Volunteer somewhere. Help someone else. Enjoy the silence.

Enjoy the sun. Bask in the rain. These posts are meant to encourage, inspire, inform, motivate, give practical tips or suggestions you can easily implement. They are for everyone! Anyone can utilize the information. If you don’t use it, it is only info. If you apply, it can be life changing! Use what you learn to make life sumptuous. Live and celebrate everything!” Rex Sikes

ENJOY!

The world is your oyster!

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“Today, for no reason at all. Go out and do something good. Go bless someone with a random or deliberate act of kindness. Say a kind word, put a smile on the face of someone else. Friend or stranger. Give money to someone.

Give money to someone you don’t think deserves it. Stop micromanaging your goodness and just be good to others. Treat your family, friends and co-workers, employers, and employees, associates and strangers better than ever today.

Practice being nice and happy and supportive. Be first. Go the extra mile. Why? No reason. Just do it. Use today to gift someone in a special way. Celebrate everything!” Rex Sikes

***We are planning some new things! Soon A Teleseminar with Rex. What are your questions, what do you want to know, what would you like help with? Use the comment section to let me know. I’ll let you know when, meanwhile, please let me know what you’d like. ***

Horizons photo used with permission of Phil Koch.

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“There is another practice you will want to engage in that brings about great delight. As with any of these approaches you only get as much in return as you are willing to put into them. If you invest in this practice, plant the seed and nurture it you will reap a bounty.

If you dabble or do little or nothing don’t expect much to be different or great results. The Law Of Attractions states like attracts like. You get back what you put out, or in this case, into it. Dedicate yourself, commit to it, and you can expect a good return. You’ll have to trust.

Trust until you try it. Once you prove it to yourself by seeing it through you will want to keep doing it and encourage others to as well. So what is this approach? Keep a WOW diary. Yup, start and keep a WOW diary. What on earth is that, you ask. It is simple.

When You Are Thankful For The Little Things They Aren’t So Little

In this diary or journal you notate, or keep track of all the times something great and unexpected happens. It may be big or small. Especially notate all the small ones. Most people miss those waiting for the big ones. You find a penny. Pick it up! Do a happy dance.

Thank the universe! Make a big deal out of it. BE HAPPY. Why? Because, as you do this, you train your brain to look for more pennies. Not only more pennies, but more money. You provide great signal strength when you make it a big celebration.

You are informing your brain, your RAS, to be on the look out for money. So when you make a big deal out of finding money, in any amount, you are even more likely to find more of it. Some people are so tuned into money they find it all the time. You can too.

Appreciate The Little Things – There Are Many

Celebrate whenever something good happens. You get some good news, a letter or a phone call. Shout hooray. Do your happy dance. You get a discount at a store, or an unexpected extra discount move those feet and shake those hips. Happy dance around!

Unexpected, coupons arrive in the mail to help you save money, be happy! Stay happy. Celebrate those free samples you get in the mail and in the stores. Savor those tasty treats in supermarkets as gifts from the divine just for you! Say yes. Accept all. Receive these!

If someone wants to take you to lunch or dinner. Don’t say no, you shouldn’t say ‘THANKS That would be great!’ When good things happen say thanks. Receive it. Most people stumble around and say, ‘you really shouldn’t’ when people want to do nice things for them.

Count Your Blessings Not Your Problems

We have been conditioned to think we don’t deserve it. We are conditioned to think a penny isn’t money or worth much. We do deserve it and it’s all worth it! Condition yourself to find the good wherever you are. Make it a habit to say YES to the universe!

Celebrate the expected and unexpected good as it arrives. Write it in a journal. ‘I found a penny! Hooray!’ ‘Today these great things happened to me!’ Linger in those wonderful moments. Create the positive, high vibration and LOUD signal value to inform your brain.

‘MORE! Bring me more good!’ Your brain doesn’t know or care whether it is a penny or a million dollars. It only cares about the feelings you have. Attach good feelings to the things that happen to you! Celebrate finding money whatever the denomination! Get it?

One Day You’ll Look Back And The Little Things Were Big Things

It doesn’t care whether you visualize a happy future or see it in reality. The brain doesn’t know the difference. If you worry or have bad circumstances the brain doesn’t know or care, it only responds to the feelings you are generating. BAD! Yuck! Give MORE!

To the brain it is all one and the same. It doesn’t care whether you are happy or sad. It will give you whatever you ARE. So what are you most of the time? How are you feeling? What are you thinking? It will return to you whatever you focus on.

This is why some people seem cursed while others seem blessed. Focus determines what the energy is. If you are focused on your problems you get more problems. Focus on blessings and get more blessings! It really is a no-brainer. It is that simple!

I Am Grateful – Thankful – Blessed – And Happy

Some people worry and fret and think, ‘nothing good ever happens for me’. Their brain will continue to prove that to them. Others feel blessed and lucky all the time. Their brain proves that for them. Whatever you predominantly feel is what you get back more of.

Want good in your life. Be happy and celebrate everything. Feel incredible and more will come your way. Feel bad and more funk occurs. Haven’t you ever noticed this? Whatever you want you can have. It is all up to you. Attitude determines your altitude.

***We are planning some new things! Soon A Teleseminar with Rex What are your questions, what do you want to know, what would you like help with? Use the comment section to let me know. I’ll let you know when, meanwhile, please let me know what you’d like. ***

Horizons photo used with permission of Phil Koch.

If you think these posts would help others please share them. Help Spread the word. Comment and provide feedback and requests.

“For decades now I have been emphasizing happiness is a left brain function. There has been a push to get people to use more of their right hemisphere for creativity.

We all know the stereotype of suffering, tormented creatives. Well, perhaps there is a reason for the stereotype.

Personally, I am an advocate for whole brain learning and development. We use our whole brain and balance is important. As is lateral cross-hemispheric communication.

The Brain Grows As Any Muscle Does The More You Use It

Not only left-right, but up down, in and out. From our prehistoric brain to our thinking cap, the neo cortex.

There is discussion that we have many brains. A gut brain, heart coherence, that our cells, while specialized, all communicate. Unified Field Theory.

It is now currently understood that our seat of emotions, heart and gut, may actually run more of the show than we have thought previously.

All very interesting and fascinating thinking Science catching up and confirming that which has been known for many, many years. I think it is exciting.

What You See Is What You Get

I have firmly maintained that how we direct our brains and what we focus on matters. Researcher have concluded that most people are visual. I believe that to be accurate. We all imagine and make images.

We may not be aware or conscious of these unless we are directed to pay attention. When tasked to make a mental image deliberately some complain they aren’t good at it.

I think they are they just aren’t that good at it deliberately. They haven’t used or conditioned their visualizing muscles, yet, to work for them when they want it to. It just does what it does.

We all talk to ourselves or listen to past prior conversations and voices in our head without being schizophrenic. This is a normal part of daily living. We talk to ourselves, inside and out loud.

What You Say Is What You Get

Here too we may or may not be that aware of how we speak to ourselves. We also let it run on and on without exercising the control over it we could. Mostly, because we don’t know we could.

95% of what we do is habitual, unconscious habits, patterns or repetitive behavior, We think the same thoughts, or most of them day in and day out.

We are routine and predictable in so many ways. We run on automatic and it is reliable. It does the same thing over and over. We don’t change it because it seems hard. It isn’t, it just seems that way.

What we say and how we say it to ourselves is governed mostly by the left front temporal lobe. We ought to pay attention to those who have said positive thinking is an important ingredient to feeling happy. We think and then we feel. We feel and we think.

Everything Originates In Thought

It is cyclical. If we begin to monitor our thoughts and feelings, what we imagine, what we say and speak to ourselves we can begin to alter how we feel and increase our ability to be happy and to be successful.

We CAN exercise deliberate control of our thought processes.

If you want to be successful you think, feel and act successful. THEN success will follow. If you want happiness you think, feel and act happy. THEN happiness will follow.

Sadly, most people think happiness follows money, things, specific people, events or circumstances. It doesn’t. You be happy, you be successful, you be rich, you be healthy in mind first and then those things follow.

You Steer Your Mind As You Steer A Vehicle – You Are In Control

You get what you think about. What you see and say IS what you get. You act first THEN you get what you want. Go First! Everything first originates as a thought and then it becomes reality.

Ricard is 69, a Tibetan Buddhist monk, born in France who has been called “the world’s happiest man,” because he participated in a 12-year brain study on meditation and compassion led by a Richard Davidson, a neuroscientist from the University of Wisconsin.

This researcher hooked up 256 sensors to Ricard’s head. These research scans found that when Ricard was meditating on compassion his mind was unusually light.

You Can Choose What To Focus Your Attention On

His brain produced a level of gamma waves, linked to consciousness, attention, learning and memory, Davidson says has never before been reported in the neuroscience literature.

‘The scans also showed excessive activity in his brain’s left prefrontal cortex compared to its right counterpart, allowing him an abnormally large capacity for happiness and a reduced propensity towards negativity.’

This aspect is not new. Brain scans have revealed this previously. Happy people have more activity going on in this left region of the brain. This area of the brain is responsible most of our speaking and understanding language abilities.

This area ‘lights up’ when we talk to ourselves.

According to the article Ricard says he sometimes meditates for entire days without getting bored. He admits he’s a generally happy person but he feels the title “happiest man” is a media-driven overstatement.

What You Feel Is What You Get

He spoke with Business Insider at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. His advice for how to be happy follows:

The answer is altruism. Thinking about yourself all the time is stressful, exhausting and leads to feeling unhappy. It is not about the moral high ground but if you want to be happy, strive to be benevolent. That makes you and others feel better. Be kind.

Ricard says when your mind is filled with benevolence, it is healthy and can flourish. That means a better mental state which also means a healthier body. Plus, he said others perceive you as nice. He believes anyone can do this.

He encourages mental training, as I do. He compares it to training for a marathon. While one may not become an olympic champion there is a vast difference between one who trains and one who does not.

Healthy Mind Healthy Body Comes From Conditioning

This is so very true of mental training our abilities. He maintains many things, benevolence, attention, memory, emotional balance, can be trained including happiness. So how does Ricard recommend you train your mind to be happy.

Start by thinking happy thoughts for 10 to 15 minutes each day. Instead of having fleeting happy thoughts, hold onto them. Concentrate and stay focused on the positive emotions.

Don’t let your mind wander. Keep it on happy positive thoughts and feelings. Just 15 minutes a day can be enough. Condition you mind by daily focused concentration on happy thoughts and feelings.

He says, if you do the training every day, even in as short of time as two weeks you can feel the positive results. If you practiced for 50 years, as he has, you can become a happiness pro.

GO FIRST!

The article concludes with UW researcher, Richard Davidson, stating that even 20 minutes of daily meditation can overall make people much happier.

I thought you might like this. Benevolence, compassion, kindness, understanding. Much needed in this current day. From ancient to modern times the call to be loving, kind, to go the extra mile, help others in need and to be charitable has been emphasized.

Imagine We Followed The Golden Rule And Went The Extra Mile

It is good for the your soul of and the recipient. Help yourself by helping others. We can all be happier by what we do first. First, we think happy thoughts and we feel happy. First, we help others without expecting return.

What you want wants you! It can find you when YOU go first. Celebrate everything without reason. That is going first. Be grateful! That is going first. Do it and the rest follows. It doesn’t come if you wait for it. Act first, GO FIRST, and it comes to you.” Rex Sikes

Be thankful you have today to be thankful!

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“Do you sometimes feel change is hard? Have you felt overwhelmed at times? We all go through it at different points in our life. Someone who read my blog elsewhere reached out saying ‘great post’ and ‘thanks’. He then described some personal history and how he worked hard to make changes. I thought I’d share my reply.

‘Thanks for speaking out. Yes, I agree there is a way to use doubts fears and negative feelings. The best way is as an alert signal that let’s us know something is amiss with our thinking and that we need to change it.

We need to re-aim it so we think and feel better. So whenever we feel less than glorious that is the body’s way of saying ‘hey change your thinking. stop thinking about what you don’t want and begin to think positive!’

If we were always contented with love and non-critical we would probably never change. Why would we if we are always satisfied. So dissatisfaction has a place too. The trick is learning to be dissatisfied without being cruel to ourselves or others.

To love and nourish, to nurture ourselves when times are good and not so good is important. It has been reported for sometime now, by researchers, that too much right brain activity may be the cause of depressive feelings.

Many artists, of all types, display right brained dominance or that tendency. Happiness is mostly a left brain function. It is literally what we say to our self and how we say it. The words and the tone. The left hemisphere is the seat of our ability to understand and speak language.

How we talk to ourselves is important. Unfortunately, many of us, have made less than glorious self-talk a habit. This does result in feeling less than glorious too. Monitoring and changing what we say is important to be able to change and feel better.

It is is a conditioning process. It requires mental exercise or practice similar to physical exercise or practice. That means replacing a bad chronic habit with a better, more productive habit.That takes effort but it can be done.

It takes consistent effort and dedication. It is simple but not always easy. Similar to exercise you have to do it repeatedly, for long enough, before you begin to see results and then keep doing it to further develop and then maintain the results.

A lot of people don’t realize how truly wonderful they are. They don’t appreciate how strong they are or how much they have already overcome. They should fully appreciate themselves for it.

I believe credit where credit is due. If you make a mistake, own up and at the same time forgive yourself. A mistake is just a mistake. Take it easy. Be gentle and compassionate. Never critical or harsh.

Anyone who suffers or has suffered from negativity and reports on it is already a winner! It means somewhere inside the person there is more than enough resourcefulness to get through it. There is a very strong and resourceful person to make it through the tough times.

This is great when you think about it! EVEN thought times have been incredibly difficult the person has been victorious. I hope that you, and others realize that. When you over come difficult times pat yourself on the back. Give yourself a hug and some praise.

If you attempted to overcome some difficulties but didn’t do so well at the time, give yourself a hug and some praise for trying. Encourage and nurture yourself along. This is very important. Say nice things to yourself. Make this a a habit.

The brain is very adaptable and can and will make changes. It may have wired in some old negative programming, depressive thoughts, anxious or fearful thoughts in the past, but those can be changed. They really can be changed. We don’t have to be held captive by the past or by our conditioning or by our genes.

Science has made some great strides forward. It takes time for the word to disseminate before enough people actually understand what the updates are. Research in neuroscience actually does point out that it is really true.

If you choose to think different thoughts, positive thoughts, even though it may seem tough, it is a choice you can make and force if you have to, it will make a large positive difference in time.You must do it again and again, by sheer force if necessary, as much as you can.

Think happy, positive, optimistic changes and you will re-wire the brain for more happiness. The brain is adaptable and responsive to this. Think happy thoughts speak happy thoughts. The reason most people don’t is because can be tough, or at least seems like it is.

Your brain can be re-wired! Talk to yourself nicely, all the time, that is the major way to start. Create nice supportive, positive self-talk and enjoy and celebrate everything. You have been victorious through difficult times.

As someone who is a victor, you can continue to move forward. While difficult at first it can get easier through time if you know what to do and then actually do it. People need to know that it IS possible to learn the knack of transforming less than glorious times more easily than they might think.

You have already done it. Be sure to take inventory of your talents, skills, abilities and resourcefulness in doing this. Appreciate yourself for accomplishing this. Add to it if you wish but know that you proven to yourself that YOU are able. I think that is marvelous.

Thanks for commenting and all the best wishes! Stay in touch if you like.'” Rex Sikes

Enjoy today!!

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Horizons photo used with permission of Phil Koch.

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“Many people lose their life struggling to live. They fall into water and exhaust themselves fighting the current. Do you know what you can do that will increase the likelihood you will survive?

If you fall into quicksand, lie back. Lie on your back and stop moving. The more you struggle the more you get sucked down. The same is true when swimming. People go under because they fight.

All you have to do is lie back and breath and you will float. You float when you relax Let go and let the water hold you up. You won’t float vertically in the water, you will sink unless you can tread.

Relax and lie back. You can float longer than you can tread. You float naturally when you lie back. It is one of the first things you learn when you learn to swim. Once on your back, gently navigate.

Your Attitude Determines You Altitude

Gently use your arms, hands and legs to move across the surface of the quicksand. Go with the current gently navigating toward the river bank. Float until spotted on a body of water.

Obviously, you can’t float forever but by floating you can save your life. You can extend the time you are alive in the water by floating on the water instead of fighting it.

The same is true in life. Sometimes, you have to surrender. Stop struggling. Stop trying. Stop doing anything. Relax. When you relax you will feel yourself held up. You’ll float. You can begin to trust.

A worried, anxious mind brings about more of the same. A fearful, doubtful mind becomes even more so. A relaxed, peaceful, accepting, loving mind attracts more of the same. Remember, what you want to create and attract first begins with your thoughts.

What You Resist Persists

Let go! Trust that all will be okay. I am not particularly religious, spiritual, yes, but religious no. Still, I like this concept. ‘God is never late’. Whatever IS is. All will work out if you have faith and trust. Everything tends to work out for the best in the long run.

We fear loss. We fear change. We fear many things. We struggle to keep things the same. Sometimes, a shake up is a good thing. Often, people look back on the worst time of their life and remark, that it was actually the best thing that could have ever happened.

We resist. Sometimes, we need to make room for newness. We need to get rid of the old shoes in the closet, taking up space, so we can have room for the new ones. Accurate or not, trust that everything will be fine no matter what. Create some space for yourself.

You have a cash deadline on a certain date and you don’t get the money until much later. Maybe, being late was perfect and getting it when you do IS the perfect time. I don’t know if that is true or not but I do know attitude is everything. Think, god is never late!

Turn Resistance Into Assistance

What you believes determines so much. If you declare it to be good it can be. You bring about what you think about. Remember, the phrase ‘when it rains it pours’. If that IS true then one should always think only the very best thoughts, don’t you think?

For goodness sake, don’t waste time with less than glorious thoughts. Focus on love, gratitude, peace, and happiness. Create what you want to have more of. Think the thoughts that bring you these. Good judgement and good taste is important.

Let go and let god, is another key thought about trust. Keep in mind whatever happens can work out for the best. What IS is. The time is always right no matter what. Things will always work out for the best, though they may not seem like it in the present.

God is never late. Let go, trust and let it all work out. Have faith. Maintain your positive thoughts. No matter what is happening seek, joy, love, peace and gratitude! Celebrate everything!” Rex Sikes

Have a fabulous day!

If you like these posts please subscribe. If you think these posts would help others please share them. Help Spread the word.

Horizons photo used with permission of Phil Koch.

NEW BLOG SITE LAUNCHES SOON – Do you get this blog emailed to you? You will have to again subscribe to this blog, newsletter. I’d hate for you to miss anything when it switches. Subscribe and Follow Daily Inspiration and Gratitude!